BLIT (short story)
Encyclopedia
BLIT is a short science-fiction story written by author David Langford
. It features a setting where highly dangerous types of images called "basilisks" have been discovered; these images contain patterns within them that exploit flaws in the structure of the human mind to produce a lethal reaction, effectively "crashing" the mind like a poorly-programmed computer.
Langford's later short story comp.basilisk FAQ, first published in Nature
in December 1999, mentions William Gibson
's Neuromancer (1984), Fred Hoyle
's The Black Cloud (1957), J.B. Priestley's The Shapes of Sleep (1962), and Piers Anthony
's Macroscope (1969) as containing a similar idea. Examples not mentioned include the short story White Cane 7.25 (1985) by Czech writer Ondřej Neff
, A. E. van Vogt
's War Against the Rull (1959), and John Barnes
' Kaleidoscope Century (1996).
Authors Ken MacLeod
and Greg Egan
both acknowledge the idea with a specific reference to Langford--"the Langford hack" in The Cassini Division (1998) and "the Langford Mind-Erasing Fractal Basilisk" in Permutation City (1994). The Fuller Memorandum
(2010) by Charles Stross
also refers to a type of magical ward known as the "Langford Death Parrot".
David Langford
David Rowland Langford is a British author, editor and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter Ansible.-Personal background:...
. It features a setting where highly dangerous types of images called "basilisks" have been discovered; these images contain patterns within them that exploit flaws in the structure of the human mind to produce a lethal reaction, effectively "crashing" the mind like a poorly-programmed computer.
Langford's later short story comp.basilisk FAQ, first published in Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
in December 1999, mentions William Gibson
William Gibson
William Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
's Neuromancer (1984), Fred Hoyle
Fred Hoyle
Sir Fred Hoyle FRS was an English astronomer and mathematician noted primarily for his contribution to the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis and his often controversial stance on other cosmological and scientific matters—in particular his rejection of the "Big Bang" theory, a term originally...
's The Black Cloud (1957), J.B. Priestley's The Shapes of Sleep (1962), and Piers Anthony
Piers Anthony
Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob is an English American writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is most famous for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth.Many of his books have appeared on the New York Times Best...
's Macroscope (1969) as containing a similar idea. Examples not mentioned include the short story White Cane 7.25 (1985) by Czech writer Ondřej Neff
Ondrej Neff
Ondřej Neff is a Czech science fiction writer and journalist. He is the founder of , one of the earliest and most popular Czech daily news/comments websites, and , a website about digital photography for amateurs.His father Vladimír Neff was a popular writer, author of many historical...
, A. E. van Vogt
A. E. van Vogt
Alfred Elton van Vogt was a Canadian-born science fiction author regarded by some as one of the most popular and complex science fiction writers of the mid-twentieth century: the "Golden Age" of the genre....
's War Against the Rull (1959), and John Barnes
John Barnes (author)
-Writing:Two of his novels, The Sky So Big and Black and The Duke of Uranium have been reviewed as having content appropriate for a young adult readership, comparing favorably to Robert A. Heinlein's "juvenile" novels...
' Kaleidoscope Century (1996).
Authors Ken MacLeod
Ken MacLeod
Ken MacLeod , is a Scottish science fiction writer.MacLeod was born in Stornoway. He graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in zoology and has worked as a computer programmer and written a masters thesis on biomechanics....
and Greg Egan
Greg Egan
Greg Egan is an Australian science fiction author.Egan published his first work in 1983. He specialises in hard science fiction stories with mathematical and quantum ontology themes, including the nature of consciousness...
both acknowledge the idea with a specific reference to Langford--"the Langford hack" in The Cassini Division (1998) and "the Langford Mind-Erasing Fractal Basilisk" in Permutation City (1994). The Fuller Memorandum
The Fuller Memorandum
The Fuller Memorandum is the third novel by Charles Stross in his "Laundry" series of Lovecraftian spy thrillers. The previous novels in the series were The Atrocity Archives and The Jennifer Morgue...
(2010) by Charles Stross
Charles Stross
Charles David George "Charlie" Stross is a British writer of science fiction, Lovecraftian horror and fantasy. He was born in Leeds.Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera...
also refers to a type of magical ward known as the "Langford Death Parrot".
Sources
- BLIT, David Langford, Interzone, 1988.
- What if... the human brain could be hacked into?, Dave Langford, T3, August 1999.